Car-brace.



J. E. OGDEN.

GAR BRACE- APPLICATION FILED MAR. 23, 1910.

968,256. Patented Aug. 23, 1910.

y 2, I t awuemto v @XMM aooco 0 0%! tions of the parts that I shall UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JESSE E. OGDEN, OF PENRYN, CALIFORNIA,

CAR-BBACE.

Specification of letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 23, 1910.

. Application filed March 23, 1910. Serial No. 551,080.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Jnssn E. OGDEN, citizen of the United States, residing at Penryn, in the county of Placer and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Braces, of which the following is a specification.v

My invention relates to improvements to be used in freight cars whereby boxes of fruit or other material may be held securely in one orv both ends of the car and prevented from sliding or becoming displaced in transit, and whereby boxes being held in one portion of the car, the other portion may be filled with other material less liable to damage but which might damage the boxes should it come in contact therewith. And the invention comprehends the use of a plurality of longitudinally shiftable braces having a sliding engagement with the bottom ofthe car and movable longitudinally along guides in the bottom of the car to any desired position, the braces being provided with means whereby they may be held spaced from each other and pressed against the boxes or other material placed in the end of the car.

. With these and other objects in view as will more fully appear as the 'description proceeds, the invention consists in certain constructions, arrangements and combinahereinafter fully describe and claim.

The invention is shown in the accompanying drawings wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation of a car provided withmy improved brace; Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the brace in place; and, Fig. 3 is a fragmentarysectional View enlarged of a portion of the slatted floor and the brace.

Corresponding and like partsarereferred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the accompanylngdrawings by the same reference characters.

A designates a freight car of any desired I or ordinary construction having the middle portion of its floor B provided with a series of longitudinally extending spaced slots 2; the walls of these slots are preferably undercut and as a means of conveniently forming the Walls of the slot I preferably provide the bottom of the floor with a plurality of strips 3, these strips-being attached to the car floor preferably at the middle thereof extending parallel to each other and be ing spaced from each other. sides of the strip 3 are rabbeted so as to provide a middle longitudinally supporting portion 4. I do not wish to limit myself to this manner of forming the walls of the longitudinal grooves, however, nor do I wish to limit myself to the provision of these guides or grooves only at the middle of the car as they might extend the entire length of the car or to a greater length than that shown by me inthe drawings.

Cooperating with the slots 2 formed in the bottom of the car I have provided a plurality of movable and adjustable uprights 5, these uprights being of angle iron, preferably T-shaped in cross section. The face of the T-bar or angle iron is about four inches inwidth. The web 6 of the iron 5 is preferably provided with a number of openings or perforations 7 and the web 6 The under extends down below the face flange of the T-iron and is bent at right angles at its lower end as at 8. This laterally bent lower end of the brace 5 is adapted to be extended through any one of the sl0ts'2 beneath the undercut edge of the'strip 3 so that the iron may slide along the guides formed by the spaced strips and toward or from the end of the car. It will be understoodthat there may be any number of braces and any number of grooves for the braces to move in. I preferably provide two braces for each groove or guiding slot, and connect these braces toeach other as shown in Fig.

2, by means of a connecting rod 9 the exorder to force the bracesagainst the boxes or packages it is necessary to providemeans for increasing the length of the connecting rod 9, and 'to this end I have provided'each connecting rod with a turnbuckle 10. I do not wish to be limited to the useof a turnbuckle as it is obvious that other devices might be used for this purpose. I have found, however, in practice that the turnbuckle will permit of a better and closer adjustment of the braces in relation to each 7 extending between the u 'being T-shaped in cross section,

other and to the boxes or packages they are designed to support.

The braces 5 may be inserted in the slots or grooves 2 by turning theupright braces 5 down on the floor of the car, cross-wise until the bent end maybe inserted into the slot, then the upright or brace 5 is raised to a vertical position and the T-shaped lower end being below the edges of the slots cannot rise up or get out of place during transportation.

My invention is extremely convenient for the shipping of fruit and like delicate articles which are likely to be damaged in transit unless means are provided for holding the boxes or packages in place within the car, and the invention can be easily applied to cars now in use with ver slight alteration. When it is not desire to use the braces they may be easily and quickly stowed away within the car and they are so light and small as not to diminish the capacity of the car to any great extent.

' In order to provide means for holding the upper ends of the braces 5 in proper spaced relation to each other, I may also use transversely extendin rods 11 formed with recesses in the si e preferably U-shaped to receive the upper end of each brace or upright 5. These rods 11 are intended to extend transversely across the car and may conveniently be made of gas-pipe, having openings 12 cut out therefrom. These rods 11 are of a length equal to the width of the car so that when in place they will contact with the sides of the car and prevent any lateral shifting of the upper ends of the uprights or braces 5.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. A device of the character described, comprising a pair of uprights, adapted at their lower ends for engagement with the floor of the car, connecting members extending between the uprights, and means for extending or contracting the connecting members to force the uprights apart or draw them togethe 2. A device of the character described, comprising a pair of uprights, each upright the lower ends of the uprights being adapted to engage with a car floor and connectin "rods rights an pro vided with means where y they may be lengthened or shortened.

3. The combination 'with a car] having guides in its bottom, of upright braces movable along said guides, and means for holding said braces in position.

4. The combination with p a car having able upright braces,

longitudinally extending guides in its bottom, of a plurality of pairs of upright braces slidingly supported at their lower ends in said guides, and connectin members extending between each pair 0 uprights and having means whereby the members may be lengthened or shortened.

5. The combination with a car having a plurality of longitudinally extending guides in the floor thereof, of a plurality of pairs of upright braces formed at their lower ends to have sliding engagement with said guides, bers between the uprights of each pair, said connecting members provided with means wheireby they may be lengthened or shortene 6. The combination with a freight car having its middle section provided with a plurality of longitudinally extending undercutguides, of a plurality of pairs of shiftsaid braces at their lower ends being angularly bent and extending beneath said undercut guides, con; necting members between the braces of each pair and turnbuckles to lengthen or shorten said connecting members.

7. The combination with a freight car] having the middle portion of its floor formed with a plurality of longitudinally extending, spaced undercut guides, of a plurality of pairs of upright braces, each brace being T-sha ed in cross section, the lower end of the races being angularly bent to engage beneath the undercut guides, the web of each brace being formed with perforations, and a plurality of connecting members extending between said braces of each pair, said connecting rods being formed with hooks at each end to engage the webs of the brace and being provided with turnbuckles whereby the rods may be lengthened or shortened.

8. The combination with a freight carIlOB having its middle section provided with a plurality of pairs of shiftable uprightbraces, said braces at their lower ends being angularly bent and engaging the said guides, connecting members between the braces of each pair, turnbuckles on the connecting members to lengthen and shorten the same, and transversely extending braces adapted to engage with the sides of the car and having spaced notchesto receive the upper ends of the members.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signaturein presence of two witnesses.

. JESSE E. OGDEN. [L.S.]. Witnesses:

CHAS. P. GREENE, OWEN R. OWEN. 

